Love Is Ouch
by LaurenGee
Summary: 2NE1 fanfic. How exactly do four fierce girls handle rejection?
1. Ignored Confessions

Love is Ouch

Forewords:

"I'm going to fly higher to that far away place. I'm not going to be fooled anymore by sweet temptations. It's a new start, now it's time to part ways. Once again, I'm boldly making my exit… Love is always ouch and always comes with pain. I will forget you now." –2NE1 (Love is Ouch)

Summary:

_Valentine's Day is highly known all around the world. It gives people a chance to spend time with their significant other and it gives people a chance to confess their love for another. This year, cupid has worked overtime, especially striking four certain girls. But cupid's plans didn't exactly turn out like he wanted to…_

_How exactly do four fierce girls handle rejection?_

* * *

Chapter 1: Ignored Confession

**[Gong Minzy]**

Letting out a long, deep breath, a girl with short brown hair nervously walks up to her long time crush, Lee Taemin. As she walks, she fumbles with a tiny, pink piece of paper in her hands, her confession. She stops in her tracks as her small eyes land on him, his tall lean figure moving his feet to the rhythm of the music in the dance studio. Biting her lip, she hides behind a wall, just a few feet away from him.

For a quick reassurance, she opens up her confession and re-reads the note she sincerely wrote for him:

_Hi, Taemin~_

_I know we don't know each other very well, but I'm in your dance class. I've been your dance partner sometime, too. Anyway, Valentine's Day is coming up and I was hoping to spend it with you. You see… I like you very much and I just wanted you to know that. Hopefully, you feel the same. I really wanted to write more, but I think I've said it all. I really like you a lot._

_Love, Minzy_

Folding the paper back up, Minzy places her hand over her chest. Her heart is pounding wildly against her chest. Minzy shakes her head, still appalled at her actions. She can't believe she's going to do this. She really isn't this type of girl, the type that are always chasing after boys. In fact, she would've laughed in your face if you told her she was going to confess to Taemin, the hottest dancer in your performing arts school.

Minzy didn't really care about guys. Honestly, all she cared about was school and dancing. Following in her grandmother's footsteps, Minzy is in love with dancing. Her parents even told her that she couldn't stop moving her feet when she was a child. Minzy's passion was dancing and only dancing. She believed that she only need friends, family, music, and dancing in her life.

But then she became dance partners with Taemin. Once. It was only once, but it left her speechless. She found herself staring at him, gawking at how beautiful he was able to move his body to the beat. He left a huge impression on her. To put it simply, cupid came early and hit her with his bow.

Minzy shakes her head once more, breathing evenly. "I can do this." She whispers to herself. She inhales a deep breath and a smile slowly forms on her face, making her eyes turn into smiles. She emerges from the wall and confidently makes her way toward Taemin.

The boy was in mid-spin when he spots a mushroom-headed figure approach him. He pauses from his dancing, breathing heavily. He turns around and meets her eyes. He raises an eyebrow, moving his bangs away from his eyes. "Can I help you?" He asks, his voice gruff.

Startled from his voice, Minzy stutters, "Uh. Hi, Taemin."

"Hi." He simply says, his eyes looking bored.

"I-I'm, uh—here." Minzy stiffly extends her hands out, handing him her confession. She looks down, avoiding his piercing eyes.

Taemin, on the other hand, simply stares at the paper in her hands. He smirks, knowing the contents in it. _Another one? I thought this girl was different from the rest,_ He thought. With an obnoxious laugh, he slaps the paper out of Minzy's hands. Minzy straightens up, bewildered. She meets his eyes.

He smiles at her innocently, mockingly. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. You're not my type." She stands there speechless, still processing his words. Taemin laughs, lightly knocking on her forehead. "Hello? If that's all you wanted to say, you can go now. I'm busy rehearsing."

With that, he waits a moment, expecting Minzy to stutter out a reply. With a shrug, he turns around and turns the music on. As if the blaring music struck her out of her trance, she jumps and shakes her head. "Wait." She blurt out. Taemin stops and looks over his shoulder at her, raising an eyebrow. Practically throwing her pride away, she bends down and picks up her rejected confession. She extends her hand over once more, pink paper in hand.

"You didn't even read it." She says, her voice slightly shaking from his previous remarks.

Taemin turns his body around to face her completely. Slowly, he makes graceful steps towards her. Minzy's heart starts beating faster. She unconsciously grips onto the letter tighter from anxiety. Taemin flashes a small smile and snatches the confession out of her hands a little too roughly. He quickly opens up the note, his eyes skimming over the writing. Minzy fidgets nervously and looks down at her feet.

She hears him inhale a sharp breath and he chuckles softly. She looks up at him while keeping her head down, her eyes barely showing behind her bangs. She watches as he folds the paper back up. Taemin places a strong hold on her shoulder. Minzy quickly straightens up, her body electrified by the touch. Truly, she's never felt this way about a guy before.

"Minzy…" Taemin starts.

"Yes?" She asks, her voice higher than usual. She feels her hands starting to sweat and she feels her stomach doing flips. She's nervous. She's anticipating.

_Rip!_

Her eyes widen as big as saucers. Taemin rips her confession in half. She opens her mouth, about to object. Before she can get a word out, he rips it once more, tearing it into small pieces. Next thing her mind processed, her sincerity was returned in her sweaty palms. She looks back up at Taemin, bravely meeting his cold eyes.

"I told you I wasn't interested." He roughly murmurs. Within a blink of an eye, he turns his back on her and starts to pick up the beat of the never-ending music. _What just happened?_ She thought silently. With one last glance at his dancing figure, Minzy slowly walks out of the dance studio, her lips trembling.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, to tell you the truth, I've actually been somewhat active. I'm still in the process of writing GD's story, but I decided to write a quick story for Valentine's Day! So, this was finished a long time ago. Hehe. **

**Anyway, I would like to apologize for not posting on this site, but posting on the others. Truth be told, I was actually contemplating on deleting my account here. But lately, I've been getting a lot of email notifications from fanfiction telling me about people ACTUALLY alerting me and adding me into their favorite author/story list. In the end, I decided to screw the little person in my head and get this account updated! **

**Thank you so much for everything. Thank you for alerting, subscribing, and commenting. It means so much to me. Also, thank you for actually opening this story up and reading to the very end. LOL. **


	2. Misunderstood Teasing

**[Lee Chae Rin]**

"Yah! Diva! Are you wearing a skirt?" A blond girl with edgy fake glasses shouts from across the classroom. She smiles and leans back against her desk upon seeing the "diva's" reaction.

A boy with deep, rich brown hair turns around from his desk, his eyes fuming. "Yah! It's not a skirt!" He argues. The whole class laughs, shaking their heads as they see the infamous hate-couple at it again.

The blond purses her lips, looking at him up and down. She slowly takes off her glasses, revealing the full beauty of her cat-like eyes colored with expertly drawn eyeliner. "Hmm, you're right. It looks more like a tutu. I have to say, this is your funniest outfit yet, Kibum." She says, flashing a wicked smile.

Kibum jumps out of his chair in rage, almost knocking it down. "Yah! It's Key! Key! My name is Key! And it's not a tutu! Why can't you just leave me alone…" A sly smirk falls on his lips. "Chae Rin."

This time, it was the girl's turn to explode. As fast as lightning, she springs out of her chair and forcefully makes her way toward Kibum. Even if Kibum was slightly taller than her, she manages to make their foreheads ram into each other fiercely. Fire danced around in her eyes as she glared at him. She literally got right in his face. At the back of her mind, her stomach does flips and her hands begin to sweat. With a mental slap across the face, she pushes the feelings away right now. She hates it when people call her by her real name.

"Are you seriously asking for it, diva?" She growls. "Because I can take you right now. Come on. Let's see how well you can fight in that tutu."

Kibum stares into her eyes, hard. He doesn't say anything, his mouth forming a hard line. Barely gentle, but aggressively, he grabs her shoulders and pushes her back. Chae Rin stumbles against the desks behind her. She looks at him, appalled. "Ya—!" She stops as she watches him walk straight out of the classroom without another glance.

She feels her chest ache, but she manages to keep a straight face. She raises an eyebrow. Rather calmly, she sits back at her desk with the rest of her friends. "Looks like I won today." She says, smirking. Her fellow students laugh, not really giving a second thought about the missing Kibum. _They find his stunt normal,_ She thinks. With a swift motion, she puts her fake glasses back on; making sure her outfit is still in perfect shape. She isn't called the fashionista of the school for nothing.

As the students talk amongst each other, a particular girl has drifted off. Chae Rin stares out the window, wondering why Kibum did that. She makes fun of him everyday, so why is he rebelling now? Her stomach ties up in knots. Had she pushed him too far? The bell rings, signaling the end of the day. With a great sigh of relief, Chae Rin pushes herself up and walks out of the classroom. Carrying her designer bag over her shoulder, she walks out of the school alone. She holds her head up high, looking confident.

But really, she's alert. Her eyes secretly survey the school grounds, looking for a particular brown-headed diva. _Aish, where is that boy? _She wonders as she slowly walks along the sidewalk, taking her time to get out of the school campus. She lets out a deep sigh and wipes her sweaty palms against her jeans. Her heart sadly flutters as she thinks about Kibum. Secretly, she likes Kibum, but she obviously doesn't know how to show it. She picks on him a lot, but that's just Chae Rin's way of showing affection. Seeing his face so up-close back there made her heart go wild. She liked his eyes the most.

And being that close… Chae Rin was blown away. She slightly pouts until her eyes land on a tutu just on the outskirts of the school. Her eyes brighten. Slowly and carefully, she walks up to him, making sure her heels don't click. Chae Rin finds Kibum sitting on a bench, touching the fabric of his tutu. Chae Rin silently sighs. She knows it's not a tutu. In fact, she's curious where he got it. Ever since Chae Rin laid eyes on Kibum, she was hooked. His style and sense of confidence caught her attention, but his personality made her stay.

She closes her eyes for a moment, calming herself into that charismatic CL everyone knew. She walks over and sits down next to Kibum, looking at him. He meets her eyes and she unconsciously holds her breath. "What is that really?" She breathes out, nodding her head towards the skirt.

"Huh?" He asks, startled at her calm voice.

"Your… skirt. Well, you said it wasn't a skirt. What is it really?"

"A kilt." He replies quietly. He lets out a sigh. "Look, if you're going to make fun of it, just—"

"Where'd you get it from?" She cuts him off.

"What?" Kibum's eyes widen.

"Where'd you get it from?" Chae Rin repeats, rolling her eyes.

"This special store downtown. My aunt works there and she gets me the latest trends." He stutters.

Chae Rin nods, clenching and unclenching her hands. Her heart is trembling again. "So…" Chae Rin pauses, collecting her thoughts. "So, I was wondering… Do you think you can show me? You know, we could go out together and you could bring m-me there?" Chae Rin looks away, squeezing her eyes shut. _Damn, I stuttered, _she thought.

Kibum hasn't gotten over from the shock. "A-are you… Is this your way of asking me out?"

Chae Rin freezes. _I'm caught_, she thought. Her heart starts to beat wildly against her chest. She might as well get this over with rather than hiding it for a few more years. She turns around and locks eyes, melting almost right then and there. "Yes."

Kibum blinks twice, his mind working overtime. "What?" He breathes.

Chae Rin sighs and looks directly into his eyes. "I like you, Kibum." Kibum simply stares, making Chae Rin fidget. "Do you…" She starts, hesitating. "Do you like me back?"

Kibum opens his mouth, but he's at a loss for words. He doesn't know what to say. Lee Chae Rin, the girl who's been teasing him ever since their first year in high school, is confessing to him right now. What has the world come to? Kibum closes his mouth, thinking about his words carefully.

Slowly, he rises up from the bench, looking down at Chae Rin. Chae Rin feels her adrenaline pumping. "Chae Rin, I don't know what to say." Kibum mumbles.

"You can say that you like me back…" Chae Rin murmurs, standing up as well. She briefly looks down at her shoes, nervous. She lost her cool a long time ago. Right now, she's vulnerable. She hasn't liked anybody like this before. Surely, cupid will give her good fortune this year… Right?

She looks up just in time to see Kibum shake his head ever so slightly. Her heart drops. "I-I'm sorry, Chae Rin. But I don't like you back." He expresses.

"But why?" She blurts out suddenly, sadness washing over her.

"Because you're too mean." He admits softly. "You've been teasing me since we were freshmen. We're seniors now and you've gotten way too far sometimes. I just… I'm sorry, but the way you treated me was unforgivable. I can't like you knowing that you've hurt me so many times before."

With that, he slowly starts taking steps back, away from her. Chae Rin grips her hands tight, overcome with emotions. "I'm sorry, Chae Rin." He says one last time before walking away from the sorrowful blond.

Chae Rin looks down at the dirt. Her throat clogs up.


	3. Hidden Break Up

**[Park Sandara]**

"Dara!"

A petite, small girl in tall inch heels comes running toward her friend and world-renowned fashion designer, Jeremy Scott. She smiles brightly and they exchange hugs. "It's been a while. I'm glad I landed this spot in your show." She says, laughing.

"Yes, it has, my dear." Jeremy nods. "The last time I saw you was before I left for Europe and America three years ago! You haven't aged a day, Dara. And besides," He playfully nudges her with his elbow. "I might have mentioned your name a few… hundred times."

She laughs bubbly, her adrenaline pumping. She hasn't seen Jeremy in years. With her working on her super model status and him designing all around the world, they barely see each other. Unconsciously, she hugs her best friend once more, missing him. They have a lot to catch up on.

As if reading her mind, he asks, "So, how's the secret lover?" He whispers in her ears, winking.

Dara playfully punches him. "He's doing well. We just haven't been able to see each other lately. We've both been busy with modeling."

Jeremy dramatically sighs. "It must be hard for you two lovebirds." He murmurs.

"Excuse me, Mr. Scott. What does this model wear?" An assistant comes up, asking.

Jeremy sighs, frustrated. "I'm trying to talk to my friend here! Doesn't anybody know what they're doing?" He turns back to Dara, apologetic. "I'm sorry, dear. But I must go. I'm glad you're already wearing your outfit. You'll be the opening and ending, okay? The show starts in thirty minutes."

Before Dara could say anything, he leaves, suddenly rushing. Dara chuckles to herself. That's the Jeremy she knew and loved. He gets serious when there are only a few minutes left on the clock. She looks down on her outfit. She loves Jeremy's new clothing line. It fits the style she's been into lately. She looks behind the curtains, hearing the audience talking in clusters. She turns back around, her heart racing. Of course she's nervous. It's natural for every model.

But it's her best friend's runway show. She hasn't modeled for him since the days where they were both starting off in the fashion world. She wants this to be perfect. If only Minho was here…

Just then, her eyes catch a familiar-looking, handsome face talking to Jeremy from afar. She squints then her eyes widen. She starts power walking in her heels, careful to not die in them. Her heart pounds against her chest as she realizes it's him.

"Lee Minho!" She squeals, hugging him from behind.

"Dara." He whispers to her, pulling her arms away. "People are watching."

"Oh, right." She mumbles, walking over to stand next to Jeremy. "I'm sorry. I've missed you. What are you doing here?" She smiles brightly, radiating beauty.

The tall, handsome man laughs at Dara's happiness, feeling a little guilty in his heart. "Your friend asked me to be his model, and I could never deny your best friend, especially if he's Jeremy Scott."

"You're too cute." She coos, slyly pinching his cheek.

"I like this guy." Jeremy says, shaking Minho's hand. "Take care of Dara, okay?"

Minho could only grunt in response, flashing an uneasy smile. His eyes meet Dara's. "Can we talk?" He asks her.

"I have to go anyway." Jeremy sighs sadly, quickly running off after winking at Dara. Dara giggles, happier than usual. She hasn't seen Minho in a while. It's so hard for them to meet. Not only is Minho also a model, but he's also from a rival company. Their companies absolutely loathe each other and they wouldn't be hesitant to fire both of them if they ever found out about Dara and Minho. So, they kept quiet. Minho takes her hand and starts leading her into her dressing room and closes the door behind him, making them have some privacy from attentive eyes.

Dating behind the papparazzi's eyes, they went on strong for three months. Dara is especially head over heels for him, but she suddenly feels cold as she sees the distant look in Minho's eyes. Abruptly feeling despair rise within her, she holds his face in her hands, intently looking into his eyes.

"Minho…" She whispers. "Is something wrong?"

He lets out a long sigh, avoiding her big brown eyes. He hesitantly holds her hands and slides them off his face gently. He looks up beneath his bangs. "Dara… I don't know how to say this."

A quiet sob escapes Dara's throat before she could even realize it herself. She removes her hands from his grip and covers her mouth. She looks at him with teary eyes, shaking her head slowly. Minho's eyes turn sad and he takes a step closer towards her.

"Dara, I'm so sorry. But I don't think I want to be with you anymore. I really liked you before, but… I'm just so tired of hiding our relationship and being so paranoid all the time when we're together. I think we should end this."

Dara closes her eyes, not wanting to see the man in front of her. She shakes her head. This wasn't supposed to happen. He's not saying this right now. He can't be saying this right now. Minho scratches his arms anxiously; hating that he chose this time to tell her. He slowly holds one of Dara's hands, squeezing gently.

"If it helps, I still want to keep in touch…" He mumbles.

Dara shakes her head once more, finding composure. She opens her eyes and takes her hand away. "That doesn't help. Please leave, Minho." She mutters lowly, brokenly. She looks away and stares at her reflection in the vanity table. She doesn't want to see his face or else she just might get on her knees and beg him to take his words back. She hears the quiet shuffle of his feet walk away and the door opens with a click.

"Minho?" She mumbles out.

"Yes, Dara?"

"Close the door on your way out."

In a few seconds, the door clicks shut and Dara falls to her knees, already wiping her eyes.


	4. Wrong Liking

**[Park Bom]**

"You're doing great, Bommie! But for the second verse, sing in a whisper, not out loud."

With determined eyes, the fiery redhead nods. "Let's start from the beginning, Teddy."

Her best friend nods and plays the track, paying attention closely. He wants his first self-written and composed song to be perfect for Bom. He wants his best friend to be known all around the world, not just underground. Teddy pounds his head to the beat, analyzing. Nailing the second verse, Teddy starts clapping as Bom continues to sing the song. She smiles a childish smile. But before she could reach the climax, Teddy unexpectedly stops the track. She quickly takes off the headphones and rushes out the booth.

"Hey, what the hell—"

She stops short. Like a total loser, she lets out a gasp as a man smiles at her. Abruptly, she lets out a growl. The man with light brown tousled hair chuckles at the girl's expression. "I see you're still speechless at my looks, huh?" He teases. He pats Teddy on the shoulder before plopping down on the couch.

Bom rolls her eyes. "I see you're still teasing me, Jaejoong."

He unleashes his smile once more, making Bom's heart hammer against her chest. She quietly clears her throat and looks away, not wanting to melt at the sight of the beautiful man. "Well, how could I not when you're giving me so much material to make fun of?" Jaejoong laughs.

"Aish!" Bom exclaims, but smiles anyway. "Did you really have to recruit him, Teddy? He's such a pain in the ass and he's only been here for two weeks!"

"Whatever, Bommie. You love it when he pays attention to you." Teddy monotonously replies, too focused on the computer.

Jaejoong meets her eyes and stands up, smiling a smug smile. Bom exaggerates as she rubs her neck like a grandmother. "Aigoo, aigoo, aigoo…" She groans, winking at Jaejoong playfully.

He laughs, taking her hand gently. The singer blushes as red as her hair. She looks down at her feet. "Hyung, do you mind if I bring Bom out for a bit? She's been holed up in the studio the whole day." Jaejoong asks, making the girl bite her lip from grinning.

"Yeah, go ahead. She needs fresh air." Teddy absentmindedly says, waving them off.

He flashes Bom a smile before they head out. The chubby red haired beauty looks down at their entwined hands, loving how they fit so perfectly. He suddenly comes to a halt, making her stop as well. She looks up at him, only to find that he's intensely staring right back at her. She feels her cheeks heat up and her heart pound. "Is… there something wrong, Jae?" She hesitantly asks.

Instead of an answer, she finds him leaning in closer. Bom freezes, feeling time slow down. _Oh my god, is this really happening? _She thinks, her adrenaline pumping. In an agonizing pace, she finally feels his lips touch hers. And she swears that at that exact moment, fireworks exploded in her heart. Pulling away earlier than she liked, Jaejoong pulls her into a hug.

He whispers in her ear, "How about we go to my room?"

In a daze, Bom smiles and nods, still fazed about the sudden kiss. She couldn't believe what was happening right now. She had the biggest crush on Jaejoong. From the day Teddy introduced them as co-workers, she was smitten. She fell for the looks and the personality. Apparently, Jaejoong was very social with her from the start. He was able to charm Bom in an instant with only a few simple words. After a week, they were already messaging each other every second of the day, whether it was flirting or simply conversing about the weather.

He never failed to compliment her looks or her singing. He always gave her hope that something special would happen between them and today seems like the day. Bom quickens her pace as she tries to catch up with Jaejoong's speed. In a matter of minutes, she finds herself sitting on his bed with him already kissing her lips. Almost hesitantly, he parts once more. "I'll be right back, okay? Wait for me." He whispers in her ear.

"Always." Bom whispers back, feeling lightheaded. In a few seconds, Jaejoong rushes to the bathroom, leaving a certain red head in a trance.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

She blinks, looking around the room as if she's snapped out of a haze. Her eyes land on his phone on the bedside table. She glances at the closed bathroom door and back at the noisy phone. She bites her lip and peeks at the caller ID. "Girlfriend number three." She covers her mouth to stifle a gasp. Hearing the door unlock from the bathroom, she quickly lies back down on the bed and pretends to be in her previous state.

Jaejoong smiles a sweet smile at her. Bom responds back with a smile, grimacing as his eyes focus on his phone. "When are you coming back?" She whines, pretending. Jaejoong swipes his phone, glancing at it. He looks back up at Bom. She plays with her fingers nervously, hoping he didn't find out that she knows. He suddenly looks like a monster than an angel to the red-haired beauty.

He walks toward her and she holds her breath. He slowly places a kiss on her forehead. "I'll be back soon, love. I just need to take this call." He talks against her neck seductively. She shudders, unable to keep in the disgust anymore. He smiles, misunderstanding her actions. He quickly goes back in the bathroom and answers the call with a low and husky, "Hello, baby."

Shaking, Bom jumps out of his bed silently. She stumbles on the way out of his room, hoping he doesn't hear her leave. She dashes through the hallways, her sobs echoing throughout the whole place.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! School just started, so I've been preparing. **

**Epilogue will be next! (:**


	5. A Bold Exit

**[Epilogue]**

**[Gong Minzy]**

"Hey, Minzy!"

Stopping in her tracks, Minzy looks over her shoulder. She lets out a surprised gasp in seeing that it's the great Lee Taemin approaching her. She fully turns around as the boy stops right in front of her, unleashing his gorgeous smile. "Uh, what's up, Taemin?" Minzy asks, gripping her dance bag tightly.

Taemin runs his hand through his hair as he looks up at the sky nervously. Minzy raises an eyebrow in confusion. His actions are suddenly queer to her. After her confession a few weeks ago, Minzy's been completely avoiding him. After his rejection, she did cry… for only twenty-one minutes.

"So, I was wondering," Taemin trails off, snapping Minzy back to the present. Minzy nods, looking up at him with big eyes. Taemin nervously chuckles. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out on a date with me this weekend…?" She freezes, staring wide-eyed at the tall boy. Seeing her reaction, Taemin quickly adds, "I mean I know I rejected you a few weeks ago, but after seeing you look completely cool the next few days made me reconsider. I thought you were like all the other whiny girls, but seeing your attitude was refreshing. So, you know, I thought that—"

Taemin's voice fades away as Minzy suddenly remembers her confession a few weeks ago, crying in the middle of the hallway. She remembers her first rejection, her first heartache. Then she remembers standing back up on her feet, smiling. She knows the vow that she made to herself. "No more getting fooled by sweet temptations. A new start, Minzy. A new start." She told herself that day after wiping her tears.

"A new start." Minzy repeats quietly, looking down at her shoes.

"Excuse me? Was that a yes?" Taemin asks, excitement creeping into his voice.

"Actually, that was a no." Minzy states, looking back up to meet his eyes steadily.

He gapes at her, her answer obviously not sinking in. "B-but… What?" He stammers.

Minzy tilts her head slightly to the side, smiling. "You heard me." She grins wider. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. You're not my type." She quotes him mockingly. With that, she turns, making her growing hair almost whip his face. She struts away, challenging him to stop her. He doesn't. Minzy lets out a whimsical laugh, waving her hand up in the air.

"Forgetting you now." She sings, dancing straight into the dance studio in a light mood.

~O~O~

**[Lee Chae Rin]**

A freshly blond Chae Rin walks out of the hair salon, searching through her wallet to make sure she has enough money to spare. She grins. She slides on her sunglasses and walks down to the mall next door. It's shopping time for Lee Chae Rin. She mindlessly walks through the halls, simply window-shopping for a bit. She slightly pouts, finding absolutely nothing that catches her interest. Suddenly, she stops dead in her tracks. She gapes through one of the store's windows, eyeing a certain pair of bright red spiked heels. Chae Rin was practically drooling.

She quickly runs into the store, grabbing the shoes on display. Instantly sitting down and slipping them on, she lets out a longing sigh. She fingers one of the spikes lovingly.

"Those look perfect on you." Chae Rin hears a familiar voice approve. Her eyebrows scrunch up together as she looks up. While stifling a gasp, she locks eyes with a bright brown-eyed boy.

"Kib—Key?" She quickly corrects herself after a moment of surprise. She jumps out of her seat, almost stumbling in the process from the height of the shoes. Kibum instantly reaches out for her, but Chae Rin holds her hand up, finding her composure. She lets out a sigh, "What are you doing here, Key?"

Kibum's eyebrows furrow for the fact that she keeps calling him by his nickname whereas she always called him by his real name, no matter how much it annoyed him. He mentally shakes his head and chuckles. "What? I can't go shopping for new clothes?"

"No! That's not—"

"I get it, _Chae Rin_." He says, putting more emphasis on her name. Chae Rin feels a slight tingle going up and down her spine, and she looks away. She keeps her calm and sits back down on the chair, taking off the heels. She feels Kibum sit down next to her, burning a hole through her with his stare. "I work here." He says.

Surprise runs through her, but she still stays composed. "Oh, yeah. Your aunt works here also, right?"

"Um, yeah." He quietly says. Chae Rin simply nods, hoping for him to leave. She hasn't seen the boy ever since she's confessed to him, no teasing or anything. She just can't stand even being in the same room with him, knowing that he rejected her. A guy she's liked for so long ending up giving her hurt and rejection in return. It was definitely not the happily ever after ending she dreamed of.

"So, I was thinking that maybe you and I could go grab something to eat after this...?" Kibum quickly blurts out. Chae Rin hears him inhale a deep breath, as if it took him a lot of courage to say. Her head shoots up and meets his eyes in astonishment. He sheepishly smiles at her. "I know it's so sudden and we haven't talked in weeks. But after what you told me a few weeks ago, I started seeing you in a new light. I feel really stupid for rejecting. I'm sorry, Chae Rin. I want to try again." He trails off. "So, what do you say?"

Crying. She remembers that day a few weeks ago. That was the first time she's ever cried over a boy. After counting twenty-one sheep at night after that confession, she made a vow to herself. "After liking him for years, this could be a new start." She told herself that night. She looks into his anticipating bright brown eyes.

Maybe, just maybe, she could find a better happily ever after.

She rises up from her seat with him standing up with her. Slowly, she smiles and shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Key." She simply replies.

A long and tense silence passes between them as Kibum looks down at the ground and plays with his fingers. He continuously lets out deep sighs. Chae Rin stands her ground, unsure on what to do next. Out of nowhere, he chuckles a deep chuckle. He meets Chae Rin's strong eyes. "I guess I deserve this, right?"

She merely shrugs, refusing to feel guilt. She's better off without him anyway. She knows she'll find better.

Kibum chuckles once more and nods. "That's the _CL _everyone knows."

"The CL that _you'll _only know." She smirks. She pulls her sunglasses out from her back pocket, sliding them on. She pats Kibum on the shoulder and turns to walk out, regaining her composure. It's the CL she's always been. She grins.

She's Lee Chae Rin, off to find a better happily ever after.

~O~O~

**[Park Sandara]**

"Hey, Dara."

The beautiful brunette turns around, making the elegant dress she's going to model sway. She feels people crowd her, constantly fixing her make-up and fidgeting with her dress. Her breath catches in her throat. Suddenly, the hands of the people felt suffocating.

"Minho." She curtly nods, trying to calm herself.

He smiles a small smile, eyeing the people surrounding her. Then he looks back to her soft brown eyes. "Can we talk?"

A jolt bursts inside of the petite woman, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. But as she looks at him, she realizes that this conversation could lead to something entirely different than their break up weeks ago. She feels herself stiffen at that damn day. She felt disgusting with her streaked make up and wrinkled dress. That day, she felt like a rookie, the model no one wanted to look at. Her hair stylist tugging on her curled locks bring her out of her thoughts.

Keeping her eyes locked on Minho, she waves them away with flip of her hand. "Talk." She monotonously says.

Minho rubs the back of his neck, taken aback by Dara's cold attitude. He knew she was only like this to him. He simply stands there, looking everywhere but at the model in front of him. He continuously lets out deep sighs, irritating Dara.

"Could you hurry this up? I have a hundred reporters out there waiting to interview me." She snaps, a certain edge to her voice. From the outburst, Minho gapes at her, mouth wide open. This only agitates Dara more. "Not saying anything? Fine. Don't say I didn't give you a chance to speak." She mutters darkly, going up the stage.

"Wait," He utters out, grabbing her arm. She snatches her arm away from his touch. He looks down at the ground before meeting her eyes. "Come back to me?"

"Excus—"

"Dara! We need you out there now!" Her manager hisses, gently pushing her out to the center of the stage. Regaining her composure, Dara stands tall and smiles for the camera, giving off a very model-like posture. Throughout the whole hour-long interview, she answers with ease. All the while, her mind is clouded with worry and irritation about a certain tall, handsome man backstage. She knows he's watching her on the sidelines, seeing his lean figure leaning against the frame of the stage.

However, she stubbornly refuses to glance back at him. All he'll do is smile an encouraging smile and she'll melt right then and there. She's aware on how weak she can be when it comes to men. She slightly shakes her head, remembering her anger towards him. How dare he ask her to come back him? Even in the most informal way, as if he's expecting for her to run back in his arms instantaneously. But…

As cameras flash, she angles her body to the left of the audience, where he now stands amongst the reporters and photographers. Her smile falters a bit as he grins up at her, almost as if he's proud. She watches as his eyes crinkle when he grins like that. That was one of the things she's loved about him. He had that certain smile only for her that—

"Dara Park, are you currently dating anyone at the moment?" A reporter asks loudly, rising his microphone up to make sure he gets it on tape.

She stills, her smile frozen. What does she answer to that? Her big, brown eyes land on Minho, who looks up at her expectantly. He knows that whatever answer she replies with will be the answer to his question from moments before. Her mind buzzes at she contemplates. The room grows quiet as everyone waits, sitting on the edge of their seats.

"No." She smiles. "I haven't dated since I was a rookie in modeling." She laughs, wittily answering the question. As reporters and photographers are fueled up, her eyes land right on Minho, making sure he understood his answer. She sees him sigh and look around at everyone in the room before walking out.

Dara looks after him, the ache in her heart fading away. As Minho takes twenty-one steps, a reporter asks Dara, "There are rumors stating that you and Lee Minho from your rival company have been dating. Is that true?" Minho stops, turning around.

She shakes her head, holding his eyes down. "Those rumors are false. I would never date someone from a rival company." Minho clasps his hands into fists, staring pleadingly at Dara. She simply returns his stare with a cold one.

"You've taken a few weeks off since Jeremy Scott's show. Was that from heartbreak? Supposedly you and Lee Minho broke off?" Another reporter questions quickly, insistent.

The brown-haired beauty lets out a composed laugh, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I don't have a relationship to begin with, let alone a heartbreak." She smoothly retorts, glancing at the persistent reporter. Looking back at Minho, she adds, "I just took a few weeks off to get a new start."

"And what was that new start?" Another asks.

She looks away from Minho this time, smiling at the stuffed crowd. "A new start in my life, of course!" She, again, wittily exclaims, laughing. As the whole crowds chuckles at her vague response, she's able to catch the entrance doors swinging shut. Proud of her newfound confidence, she blows a kiss towards the cameras, the audience eating it up.

~O~O~

**[Park Bom]**

"Bom, look. I know how you feel about Jaejoong after what happened a few weeks ago, but could you _please _just suck it up and record a song with him?" Teddy pleads, unconsciously clasping her hands together.

The redheaded girl looks away from her best friend's eyes, sighing. After that humiliation, she avoided Jaejoong for a few weeks, unable to meet the eyes that betrayed her. She didn't want to look into the eyes of someone who she actually trusted and fell for too fast. After thinking about it all night that day, she knew he found out. She wasn't that stupid to fall for his petty lie.

"Bommie?" Teddy begs once more, hoping to break the girl down.

Bom sighs once more at the use of her nickname. "Fine. Call him in." She mutters. She sits down at the couch, away from the door as possible so he won't have to even step near her line of sight. She hears an extra set of footsteps enter the room; an awkward silence unfolds. Teddy clears his throat; he didn't think it would be this uncomfortable in the room. "Let's start, guys!" He tries to cheerily exclaim. As he sits down on his chair, he orders, "You first Bommie."

Mentally, she cringes, but she keeps up her poise. Ignoring his steely glare, she walks inside the recording booth. Knowing that they can't see her from the waist down, she anxiously taps her foot. Keeping her chin held high, she sings, listening to the melody Teddy made. Listening to the lyrics, she feels her eyes water, silently wanting to strangle Teddy. She spots Teddy smile, trying to hide it. She knew Teddy wrote the lyrics based on what happened to her and Jaejoong. She feels heat rush up to her cheeks. She can't even bring her to look at—

"That's great, Bommie!" Teddy stops the track. She takes off the headset, frustrated. She stomps out of the booth, meeting Jaejoong's eyes by mistake. With a frown, she looks away, sitting all the way at the other end of the couch. "Get up, Jaejoong. Your turn." Teddy grunts.

Bom hides her smile, appreciating that Teddy feels her pain. She feels Jaejoong shifting as he gets up from the couch. "Uh, Teddy. I don't feel comfortable singing this." Jaejoong mumbles in Teddy's ear, thinking that the wine-haired beauty can't hear.

Bom gapes at him, burning a hole right though his back. She stands up. "And why not?" She demands.

Jaejoong turns around, obviously startled. Bom rolls her eyes at the sight. _Not a big man now, huh? _She thinks sarcastically. He scratches his head, not meeting her eyes. She balls her hands into fists. Now he won't meet her eyes! "I don't want to think about what happened a few weeks ago," He finally admits, looking deep into her gaze. His eyes were sorry. She looks away, gulping. "I want to apologize, Bom."

She snaps her head towards him. "Apologize?" She exclaims incredulously. "You have the nerve to kiss me and lure me into your bed yet whisper around with other women and dare to lie to my face? If you think—"

"I broke up with them."

Bom stops, catching her rigid breath. "What?"

"I only want you." He mumbles, playing with his fingers.

She gapes at him, eyeing his sullen figure. She slides her eyes over to her best friend. Teddy looks up at Jaejoong from his seat. He shakes his head. "Pathetic," He hears him murmur under his breath. The singer smirks, amused at Jaejoong. She looks back at him.

"You only want me?" She questions, putting up a fake innocent tone.

"Yeah, just you. I realized my mistake and I'm sorry. I won't cheat anymore. Will you forgive me and give me another chance?" He looks up.

Bom looks away, afraid to look into his eyes again. She thought she had covered this before. She thought she was going to move on. His eyes, however, spoke a different story. He really looked like he wanted to be with her, without any cheats. She knows she'll cave in under his eyes, under the pressure. But then she remembers what she told herself that day. She promised herself. Taking a sidelong glance at Jaejoong, she bites her lip, unsure. Suddenly, a song plays in the room. She and Jaejoong both look over at Teddy.

"What?" He asks, shrugging. "Just because you two got something going on doesn't mean I have to stop working."

She narrows her brown eyes at her best friend, knowing he's up to something. Her best friend winks at her before turning around in his chair. Although confused, she keeps her serenity. Her eyes land on Jaejoong fast enough to see him throw a peeved look at her best friend before putting up his façade. Bom scoffs, aghast. She walks up to him slowly, watching, as his face turns eager.

Bom cocks her head to the side, sizing him up. She's unsure on what to do, what to say to him. She distantly hears Teddy replay the song again. Pushing her clouded thoughts away, she listens to the lyrics and the beat. Twenty-one seconds into the song, realization strikes her. She grins, her glossed lips shining. Her best friend was a genius. Looking in between the verses and the beat, she knows her message.

Jaejoong raises an eyebrow, curious. The singer lets out a loud laugh.

_Slap!_

Jaejoong looks up at the girl in front of him, her fiery red hair looking brighter than usual under the dim lighting of the recording studio. He touches his cheek angrily. "What was that for?" He shouts.

"For being an ass to women." Bom smiles widely, placing her hands on her hips. Boy did she feel amazing. "Look," She continues, her voice never faltering. "I want a new start. And I'd really enjoy it if I don't see your face or hear your voice ever again, got it?"

Jaejoong scoffs, rubbing his cheek. "Well, that's too bad, princess. We need to record a song together."

Bom laughs coldly, resting a hand on Teddy's shoulder. "I'm pretty sure I can hold down a song on my own." She points towards the door. "Now get out." Jaejoong mutters a string of curses under his breath, clenching his fists tight. Bom bites her lip at first, contemplating if she did the right thing. Then she hears him lose his façade and she reconsiders. She lets out a long sigh and feels knots in her chest disappear with every step Jaejoong takes.

"Later, pretty boy. I'll write up a good song for you to regain your bruised ego." Teddy salutes him mockingly.

She giggles, humming the song proudly.

_"You're trying to overcome this easily._

_But it seems our time's already up._

_Time to say goodbye; don't pretend like you can't hear me._

_We were over a long time ago; now turn your head away._

_I'm singing a break-up song._

_Bye, my love."_

* * *

**A/N: Good lord! I'm finally done with this story! It was fun writing this, but I'm extremely sad that I never finished this by Valentine's -_- Hopefully, I can write another one and finish it by the time it's due. But I'm not going to lie, this wasn't my best :c**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this. And I really hope it didn't disappoint (aside from my lack of updating) I'd like to hear what you guys thought of it! Comments, anyone? (:**

**P.S. I'm still in the process of writing GD's story. Just to let you guys know [;**


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